My ratings by kids age

Good for Expanding on Classroom Learning

My second-grade daughter was studying various American Indian tribes at the time of our visit, so the National Museum of the American Indian was a must-stop for us. Make sure to watch the 13-minute “Who We Are” movie in the Lelawi Theater. It kept the attention of the kids, which is always key. There are also several guided tours that set out throughout the day. The information desk has a free family activity guide, which is good for small children.

Tips for Families

There are very few non-food truck places to eat nearby, particularly on the Independence Avenue side of the building. Avoid the museum café. While the menu is Native American-inspired, the food is over-priced (e.g., $4.95 for a cup of buffalo chili).

My ratings by kids age

American Indian museum has the best food

Another great Smithsonian museum in Washington DC. There are alot of great exhibits for all family members that describe the history of the American Indian. of all the great things in the museum, my family liked one thing specifically, and that was the food. Every Smithsonian museum in Washington DC has some form of food court, but the one in this museum beat them all. they served some authentic Native American food that my kids loved. Examples included fried bread,, rice, salads, and other food that seemed very authentic. It is always difficult to find good food in museums, so it was nice that the Museum of the American Museum offered some great food that even the kids enjoyed.

This museum has been open for how long? I'm just now visiting?!?! For the record, I did attend the museum's opening festival a few years ago (still dreaming of fry bread). One extra star for the architecture - otherwise, it's a solid 3 star experience. Artifacts galore! Guns, gold & moccasins... There are some ceremonial pieces and remnants of spiritual offerings... all of which is expected. Some of the artifacts were made in present-day time, which is good - the Native American is so often referred to as a people of the past (even in South America). There were times when we found ourselves walking around saying, 'where are the exhibits?' I think the balance between space used for showcasing bits of culture ...

I was dragging my feet about visiting this museum. When my uncle came to town, I asked him what museums were on his "list" of top-visits to see. He had a long binder paper worth of a list. I laughed because we had one day in his visit to see his top picks. He said that his top must-see was the National Museum of the American Indian. When I got there, I have to say that I was very impressed and interested. The front of the museum had breath-taking tee pee statues. On the first floor, there is a huge open space with large canoes. There is a 13 minute presentation, documenting the American Indian culture, and ways they attempt to preserve it. The presentation is in 2-V--the video appears on the ceilin...

We (two adults, two children, ages 9 and 11) visited this museum after a long day of stomping around Washington. We enjoyed it, finding it both informative and interesting. Creators of this museum selected a small number of specific Indian groups to treat, rather than try to cover everything- a decision which is freely admitted in the presentation. The exhibits are educational and avoid much of the narrowness of earlier presentations of Indian history and life. Live demonstrations of Indian craft and technology are presented regularly and the museum houses a rich collection of items. The architecture (both inside and out) of the building is novel, and there is a beautiful water-based plaza surrounding par...

After seeing the old Native American exhibits in various other Smithsonian buildings, I approached this new museum with a bit of skepticism. The building itself is quite nice, but it feels like a lot of space is wasted and artifacts that should be out in the open are just hidden in storage. I don't know if the kids ruined it for everyone, but all the drawers with additional artifacts were locked. The small niches sometimes felt like stalls at a market, and I was disappointed that some tribes were not even represented. I am still on the fence on this recent trend of throwing a bunch of items up behind glass like some department store window, which always gets annoying when you have to consult a book at th...

"You can see their cheekbones, these are orientals." -Some random lady next to me said this her husband and kids. Hm, comments? Anyways, I don't know why but I got really into this museum- full out contemplative and "emo" the whole time I was there. The building is gorgeous, modern, and ve...

This place was disappointing and boring. Only the food and gift shops interested me. The layout is huge with lots of wasted space. At the Natural History Museum, there are things hanging from the ceiling. I could not figure out where...